Of those, only one is a sound energy policy as far as protecting the environment and combating global warming goes. The rest of Lunsford's energy plan will do very little to stop the energy crisis in our country, and will most likely only exacerbate it. Frankly, I'm pretty disappointed in Lunsford's policies - I think he could use some direction from Rep. Chandler or Rep. Yarmuth on the environment. That being said, I think there is very little one could do to become as much of an enemy to the environment as Mitch McConnell. Unfortunately, I don't expect we'll see much leadership from Lunsford on the issues that really need addressing - conservation, eliminating fossil fuels, subsidies for renewables, etc. His two or three sentence mention of these issues at the end of his energy plan really fails to get me excited that he will really push for the right things on Capitol Hill. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to show him the way, though.

Lunsford's energy plan comes on the heels of Senator Mitch McConnell's first attack ad, blaming high gas prices and the current energy crisis on Lunsford. McConnell apparently failed to possess any understanding of energy and/or economic policy before releasing this ad. Furthermore, he blatantly disregards his endless obstructionism on nearly every issue in the US Senate, ignoring the fact that a single person cannot alone change policy. But all of this has already been written about here, here, here, and here. Again, it would be hard for anyone to be more out of touch than Mitch McConnell on these issues.

I would personally like to see a little more leadership from Lunsford here, as this is where I think he really shows himself to lack the progressive credentials that alot of Kentuckians and alot of Democrats are looking for these days. While I don't agree with Lunsford's new energy plan, make no mistake that voting for Mitch McConnell in November is a vote against the environment, a sound energy policy, a healthy, green economy and thriving communities in Kentucky.

Sunday, I hopped in the car with Paco and drove to Elk Valley, Tennessee, for the march on Zeb Mountain. I was greeted by about 100 other activists and concerned citizens that are upset about the state of affairs with mountain top removal mining (ahem, i mean surface mining in TN, since they deny that they do MTR) and want to make a statement to the corporations, local government, and really, the world about how stupid it is for us to be destroying the watersheds and forests of Appalachia. Watersheds that we drink from, and need to drink from in the future.

I was humbled by the voices of so many other coalfield residents like myself (a new-to-the-coalfields but generations-long appalachian person) who are angry about what's being done to their communities. Carol Judy is one of these that humbles me, encourages me, and fills me with peace, knowing that there are so many respectable, kind, loving, and intelligent people fighting mountain top removal. Being around people like Carol and our friend Vicki, who also showed up with her granddaughter (granddaughter below)

I too, am an appalachian, not a rich activist (I think a "Rich activist" would need to make above 30k a year, but who am I to know?), but would say that I am an activist. Too many meetings and rallys and protests under my belt to say otherwise.

As a rally, this one was good. The cops were nice, (isn't that strange to write) the sun was shining, and those that were arrested were arrested by choice/conscience. Shouldn't they all go that way? Here's a lil' ole video clip from the action...

The wealth of Australia's raw materials are boundless, coal,gold, iron ore, uranium (not all mined) natural gas, wheat,sheep,cattle,wool and probably more can be added to those Ive mentioned. Overall thats a lot of exports and a lot of money coming in, a lot of dough. Millionaires and billionaires are created overnight lavish houses and lifestyles are the norm for those fortunate enough to be in the high income bracket alongside the politicians who make the rules and laws that allow the few to reap the financial benefits of this much publicised boom. So where does all this money go and is its distribution fair, I think not. Big companies either pay taxes or royalties, I think the raw materials belong to all Australians and the people who make the money out of them should pay taxes also.

Here are some figures........ About now our population stands at 21.372.029 people in OZ........of these there are approximately 4.000.000 children 14 and under. Unemployed approximately 470.000. These are figures I just got off the net so Im guided by that.

My opinion is, this with all the money that is being accrued by the employed and these rich companies from taxes and royalties and the waste that there undoubtably is I can see no reason why any employed person that earns $40.000 or less a year should pay tax at all. Based on the fact that everything we eat, drink, wear, and generally use in our everyday life is taxed to the hilt anyway why cant the struggleing,  be free of these personal taxes.  The wealth from our raw materials and and industrial gains should be spent on our basic infrastructure, hospitals education, transport, care for pensioners and the disadvantaged etc, its about time the governments started to put ordinary Australian people first and themselves further down the money grabbing pecking order....I Just wonder why its impossible to keep 22 million people living in a reasonable lifestyle instead of grinding them into debt and misery.

Yet another action from Mountain Justice in Defense of the Appalachian Mountains! Please Support Fellow Activists.

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Tenn., July 20 - Residents of coal-impacted communities throughout Tennessee and Appalachia took a stand today for the mountains of East Tennessee by marching on Zeb Mountain, a surface mining site owned by Knoxville-based National Coal Corporation. In the tradition of American Civil Disobedience, the march, organized by United Mountain Defense, Mountain Justice, and Three Rivers Earth First!, included a diversity of coal-impacted citizens ranging from hunters fighting for the state’s wildlife to religious leaders promoting environmental stewardship

The march began with a prayer led by Christians for the Mountains and included political theater, life-sized puppets, rousing speeches, and proud renditions of the Tennessee state anthem, “Good Ol’ Rocky Top.” As the march reached the border of National Coal's property, four activists decided to risk their freedom by walking across the line to make it clear that the destruction of mountains for short term profit is not acceptable. The Campbell County Sheriff's Office calmly and orderly arrested the activists and removed them from the property.

Eric Blevins, one of those arrested, and a multi-generational Appalachian, said "I crossed an artificial line today because Appalachia is my homeland, and its life is being destroyed far faster than it can regenerate. I wanted to open people's minds to how insane it is that we allow corporations to own land without loving it and keeping life sustainable."

Now that 1345 acres of Zeb Mountain, half the original permit, have been reduced to rubble, National Coal is moving on to assault other mountaintops in Tennessee. One of these areas is the 65,000 acre Sundquist Wildlife Management Area, which cost Tennessee taxpayers $40 million dollars to purchase. Sundquist Wildlife Management Area is a public access game preserve with rivers flowing directly into the water supply of Nashville, Tennessee.

“The land belongs to the state and the people of Tennessee, and corporations should not be allowed to destroy it. The federal mining regulators should start listening to state agencies and representatives,” said Matt Landon, a United Mountain Defense volunteer.

Coal mining involving mountaintop removal or cross ridge mining has many negative effects across Appalachia, and using this method in the Sundquist Wildlife Management Area would threaten the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. The Big South Fork has begun to recover from previous mining operations in the early 1900s. There are five federally endangered species of mussels in the Big South Fork and two listed endangered fish. This is about the survival of the New River and the Big South Fork. Mountaintop removal is inherently destructive to the sources of our water, and the fish and wildlife that depend on it.

Of the groups organizing the march, United Mountain Defense is a Tennessee-based non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the state’s land, air, water and people, while Mountain Justice is a pan-Appalachian movement dedicated to similar issues on a regional scale. Three Rivers Earth First! is dedicated to preserving all places.

“We believe Tennesseans need to stand up to the coal companies that are devastating our environment, killing our wildlife, and poisoning our air and water,” said United Mountain Defense co-founder Paloma Galindo. National Coal has committed over 50 violations of environmental regulations since 2004.

“NCC cannot be trusted to protect our public lands based on their prior record of violations,” said lawyer and Knoxville native Chris Irwin. National Coal is unfit to mine our public lands due to their pattern of violations in Tennessee.
The march comes as state legislators continue to debate the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act, a bill that would protect Tennessee ridgelines above 2,000 feet, require an environmental impact statement before issuing any surface coal mining permits and would prohibit surface mining operations within 100 feet of any water of the state.

Now is the time for citizens to speak up and take a stand to protect the mountains of Tennessee from the devastating effects of surface mining. With coal prices becoming less competitive than renewable energy and in-state tourism growing in popularity due to the rising cost of travel, the mountains of Tennessee are far more valuable to the state and its citizens if they are protected

United Mountain Defense (UMD) is a nonprofit volunteer based organization committed to protecting Tennessee’s mountains, water, air and people. UMD conducts activities in three principle areas: legal and policy advocacy; scientific monitoring and data collection; and public education, outreach and grassroots organizing. These activities are conducted within the state of Tennessee, primarily in Campbell, Claiborne, Scott, Fentress, Bledsoe, Knox and Blount counties.

In the six years between President Bush's inauguration in 2001 and the Democrats' assumption of control of Congress in 2007, the price of gasoline rose an average of 14 cents a year. Since the Democrats took over Congress, the price of gas has doubled, the inflation monster has reawakened, and the recession wolf is sniffing at our door.

I know. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc (after, therefore because of) was the first logical fallacy they taught back when logic was taught in school. It may merely be coincidence that things went to hell in a handbasket since the Democrats took over.

Or maybe not. Here's another coincidence. On July 15, President Bush announced he was lifting the executive branch moratorium on offshore drilling. In the 24 hours that followed, crude oil futures plunged $9.26 (6.3 percent), the biggest oil price decline in 17 years.

"Traders took a look at a feisty and aggressive George Bush and started selling the market well before a new drop of oil has been lifted," said financial analyst Larry Kudlow. "If Congress moves to seal the deal, oil prices will probably keep on falling. That's the way traders work. They discount the future. Psychology and expectations can turn on a dime."

Oil prices fell again the next day when the Bureau of Land Management overrode the objections of environmentalists and opened 4.9 million acres of land in Alaska to oil exploration.

Oil prices are high chiefly because Democrats in Congress won't let us develop oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (10.4 billion barrels, equivalent to 37 percent of our proved reserves), on the Outer Continental Shelf (86 billion barrels, nearly 4 times our proved reserves), or the oil shale in the Green River Formation in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming (800 billion barrels, more than the proved reserves of the rest of the world combined).

Democrats also oppose the most promising intermediate term alternatives to oil, CTL plants that convert coal to gasoline and diesel fuel (one using technology developed mostly in the United States will be opening in China this fall) and nuclear power plants.

Democrats say developing the oil resources we have in this country is not a solution because it would take 5-10 years for the additional oil to come on line. This isn't true.

"A new report from Wall Street research house Sanford C. Bernstein says that California actually could start producing new oil within one year if [the congressional ban on offshore drilling] were lifted," Mr. Kudlow said. "The California oil is under shallow water and already has been explored. Drilling platforms have been in place since before the moratorium. They're talking about 10 billion barrels worth off the coast of California."

But even if it were true, Democrats are being hypocritical. The primary reason they oppose developing our oil and natural gas resources and pursuing clean coal technologies (we're the Saudi Arabia of coal) is their concern for global warming. "Coal makes us sick, oil makes us sick, it's global warming, it's ruining our country, it's ruining our world, we've got to stop using fossil fuel," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , Nevada Democrat, said last month.

Global warming exists only in computer models. In the real world, global temperatures peaked in 1998, have been declining for the last four years, and are projected to remain flat or decline further for the next decade.

Even in the computer models, global warming doesn't pose a serious problem for at least half a century. But the "cap and trade" systems Democrats propose to combat it would have immediate negative effects on the economy. A Heritage Foundation study estimated S 2191 would lower the gross domestic product by at least $155 billion a year. All this to produce what the computer models say would be only a negligible reduction in carbon emissions - none at all if China and India don't go along (they've said they won't.)

So Democrats demand we cripple our economy now to deal with a threat that may not exist, and which computer models indicate wouldn't manifest itself for 50 years or more, but refuse to take action on the real economic crisis we face today - a crisis they are largely responsible for creating - because it could take five to 10 years to turn things around. This may make sense in Hyde Park or Berkeley, but not in those portions of America where people use their heads for something other than to hold up their hair.

Jack Kelly, a syndicated columnist, is a former Marine and Green Beret and a former deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force in the Reagan administration. He is national security writer for the Pittsburgh (Pa.) Post-Gazette.

In her farewell speech as the Bangladesh country representative of ADB Hua Du told a group of journalists that she had been impressed with the performance of Bangladesh's economy. What had stricken her most is the resilience of the Bangladeshis in the face of natural disasters: floods and cyclones. Kudos to the dynamic and resilient people of Bangladesh, a smiling Hua Du said at a recent farewell reception. However, even a super optimist like Huq Du, a Chinese national, was not happy with the way Bangladesh has dealt with power and energy. This sector _ so vital to the economic development _ got no grade points from the outgoing official. What great potentials this sector has in taking the country's economy to a new heights! But so little has been done! Huq Du could not hide check her. Neither did she mince any words in her criticism.

As the ADB chief in Bangladesh Hua Du did what her organization had wanted her to do: to sell ADB ideas and prescriptions to the government of Bangladesh. Her performance was flawless, near perfect. Power and Energy, however, is one of the few areas where she could not make any impact. On her farewell night she spoke about the country's coal reserve and the potentials the natural resource has in producing electricity in power-hungry Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has been buffeted with electrify crisis not for lack of resources but for lack of initiatives. That we all know. First, there was the BNP-led coalition government that did nothing to add new electrify to the national grid. No new projects and no new plants. No additional electricity. The demand had kept rising, but there had been no effort to augment the supply. That was when Khaleda Zia was the prime minister during her second term. She kept telling the nation that her government had flooded it with development even though her government inexplicably failed in creating even a single kilowatt of electrify.

Having inherited the crisis from Khaleda's failed regime the caretaker government of Fakhruddin Ahmed has been in trouble in coping with it. It has not dared to go for any big plan to set up new power plants to meet the growing demand. Instead, it first focused on austerity and better management of electricity consumption. As part of its austerity drive the caretaker government forced the shops in capital city and elsewhere to shut down by 8 p.m. every night. The measure, the government thinks, has helped save some power. Load shedding has remained the central feature in management of consumption. Every one is suffering - domestic, commercial and industrial users. Frequent outages have hurt the economy.

Then came the government initiative to make a coal policy that will be acceptable to all. Coal has grabbed the central stage of the government's energy policy after some experts _ supported by donors _ concluded that coal _ not the gas _ should be used for producing electricity. According to them Bangladesh should turn its attention from gas to coal to make electricity. Natural gas, once thought to be available on plenty in Bangladesh, is now in short supply. There is also no sign yet when a full scale exploration of gas will be possible. On the other hand coal is available and the current reserve is good enough to attract foreign investment. Asian Energy is there. But there are at least three other companies eyeing on our coal reserve. The four companies, I've been recently told, are proposing to investment at least US$5 billion.

The Asian Development Bank and other donors support exploration of coal to produce electricity. The coal policy drafted by a national committee is awaiting government's approval. Will the policy end the controversy centering the use of coal. Or will it ignite more debate?

Source: http://www.ep-bd.com/

Date: 16 July 2008, Bangladesh

Senior geologist of LionOre Australia Pty Ltd, Dr Raisuddin Ahmad, has termed Bangladesh's coal sector a very promising one to accelerate the country's national economy. Dr. Rais has been working in ‘Black Swan Nickle,’ mine in Carlgorlley, Australia, one of the deepest nickel mine in the world. Born in Narsingdi, Bangladesh, Dr. Rais has obtained his higher degree in geology and mineral industry in Bangladesh, USA and Australia. He was involved in teaching profession for long in Australia. Dr Raisuddin is also a former fellow of Australia's number one ranking National University said, "Coal can be a useful and effective alternative source of energy to ensure the country's future energy security and help developing the national economy."

“But to utilize the country's coal reserve potentials a bold decision and its immediate implementation are necessary,” Dr Raisuddin Ahmed further stated to Energy & Power Editor Mollah Amzad Hossain during his recent visit to Bangladesh. Following are the excerpts.

EP: Bangladesh has huge coal reserves. But the country is yet to tap its potentials. According to you what are the bottlenecks the country faces and how it can be overcome?

RA: Bangladesh is now facing multifaceted problems like lack of necessary and realistic vision, policy-related complexities and weakness in taking appropriate and timely decisions. Overcoming these bottlenecks is intricate but not impossible. Firstly the government's vision needs to be changed. The government should be open, free from political confrontation and come out of conservative approach. Appropriate decision should be taken without fear and adequate measures should be taken for its quick implementation. The government must have to maintain strong monitoring especially in the case of social and environmental issues associated with coalmine development and immediate rectification is a must if a wrong is committed. An independent monitoring system can be considered involving eminent scientists, academicians of the country.

EP: How you see the prospect of coal sector in Bangladesh and how it can be utilized?

RA: Coal sector in Bangladesh is very promising. The government must not do any further delay in taking decision on coal sector development. Bangladesh is already lagging behind in utilizing coal resources. The global practice is that around 70-80 per cent of coal is used in coal-fired power plant in the coal-rich countries like USA, China, Germany and Australia. Despite having huge potentials Bangladesh has only one 250 MW coal-fired power plant, which is also struggling for regular supply shortages of coal due to application of wrong mining method in Barapukuria coalmine. The gas reserve of the country is depleting quickly with growing demand and Bangladesh doesn’t have any alternative other than immediate extraction and uses of its coal resources. The preferred option for Bangladesh would be to use coal for base load power generation and save valuable gas resource for other productive uses.

EP: By the way you mentioned about Barapukuria coal mine, what should be the appropriate mining method in Barapukuria?

RA: Geologic reality and economic consideration should come first for selecting mining method. It is very much site specific. In Bangladesh, the main challenge for underground mining is to maintain the subsurface water bearing Dupi Tila layer overlying the coal seams. It is also a challenge for open pit mining. Thick coal seam and unconsolidated overburden materials are also factors in safe and economic mining of the coal resource. Considering the overall geological structure and soil condition of Barapukuria coalmine I must say open pit mining method is most suitable for its mining.

EP: There is a controversy regarding selecting mining method for Phulbari Coal Field. Which method you suggest appropriate for Phulbari?

RA: As the geological structure and soil condition of Phulbari is similar to that of Barapukuria, the open-pit mining method would be a suitable option for getting the maximum benefit out of it. But the authorities concerned must have to be careful about pollution, degradation of environment to maintain a natural equilibrium. Mine dewatering will have significant impacts on underground water regime in the area. But there are well-tested mitigation measures in the world to minimize the impacts of dewatering. RWE Mine, Germany is a great example of efficient subsurface water management. Bangladesh must have to implement those mitigation measures and experiences to ensure availability of water to the affected communities. The local people who will loss their land and other assets for open-pit mining must have to be properly compensated. After coal extraction, the affected lands must have to be reclaimed and rehabilitated for productive uses and should consider returning back to the owner or their successors. The mining should be done in phases to ensure that huge numbers of local people do not need to be rehabilitated at once. The local people must be given proper employment and other opportunities to maintain their livelihood with better status than before.

EP: Bangladesh has several coalfields. According to you how Bangladesh can go ahead to develop those.

RA: As currently Bangladesh has no expertise in coalmining, initially one or two coalmines should be developed with assistance from foreign companies. Foreign companies can develop Bangladesh coalmines under contracts. The remaining coalmines should be kept for local companies to develop. Manpower should be developed through necessary training. Provision should be kept in the contract with foreign companies to ensure employment of maximum number of Bangladeshi nationals. Arrangements should also be there so that local expertise develop seeing and experiencing the works of foreign companies.

Source: http://www.ep-bd.com/

Date: 16 July 2008, Bangladesh

Farid Hossain
  In her farewell speech as the Bangladesh country representative of ADB Hua Du told a group of journalists that she had been impressed with the performance of Bangladesh's economy. What had stricken her most is the resilience of the Bangladeshis in the face of natural disasters: floods and cyclones. Kudos to the dynamic and resilient people of Bangladesh, a smiling Hua Du said at a recent farewell reception. However, even a super optimist like Huq Du, a Chinese national, was not happy with the way Bangladesh has dealt with power and energy. This sector _ so vital to the economic development _ got no grade points from the outgoing official. What great potentials this sector has in taking the country's economy to a new heights! But so little has been done! Huq Du could not hide check her. Neither did she mince any words in her criticism.As the ADB chief in Bangladesh Hua Du did what her organization had wanted her to do: to sell ADB ideas and prescriptions to the government of Bangladesh. Her performance was flawless, near perfect. Power and Energy, however, is one of the few areas where she could not make any impact. On her farewell night she spoke about the country's coal reserve and the potentials the natural resource has in producing electricity in power-hungry Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has been buffeted with electrify crisis not for lack of resources but for lack of initiatives. That we all know. First, there was the BNP-led coalition government that did nothing to add new electrify to the national grid. No new projects and no new plants. No additional electricity. The demand had kept rising, but there had been no effort to augment the supply. That was when Khaleda Zia was the prime minister during her second term. She kept telling the nation that her government had flooded it with development even though her government inexplicably failed in creating even a single kilowatt of electrify.

Having inherited the crisis from Khaleda's failed regime the caretaker government of Fakhruddin Ahmed has been in trouble in coping with it. It has not dared to go for any big plan to set up new power plants to meet the growing demand. Instead, it first focused on austerity and better management of electricity consumption. As part of its austerity drive the caretaker government forced the shops in capital city and elsewhere to shut down by 8 p.m. every night. The measure, the government thinks, has helped save some power. Load shedding has remained the central feature in management of consumption. Every one is suffering - domestic, commercial and industrial users. Frequent outages have hurt the economy.

Then came the government initiative to make a coal policy that will be acceptable to all. Coal has grabbed the central stage of the government's energy policy after some experts _ supported by donors _ concluded that coal _ not the gas _ should be used for producing electricity. According to them Bangladesh should turn its attention from gas to coal to make electricity. Natural gas, once thought to be available on plenty in Bangladesh, is now in short supply. There is also no sign yet when a full scale exploration of gas will be possible. On the other hand coal is available and the current reserve is good enough to attract foreign investment. Asian Energy is there. But there are at least three other companies eyeing on our coal reserve. The four companies, I've been recently told, are proposing to investment at least US$5 billion.

The Asian Development Bank and other donors support exploration of coal to produce electricity. The coal policy drafted by a national committee is awaiting government's approval. Will the policy end the controversy centering the use of coal. Or will it ignite more debate?

Source: http://www.ep-bd.com/

Date: 16 July '08 ]]> http://phulbariresources.wordpress.com/?p=68 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:20:55 +0000 phulbariresources http://phulbariresources.wordpress.com/?p=68

Dr Raisuddin Ahmad

Senior geologist of LionOre Australia Pty Ltd, Dr Raisuddin Ahmad, has termed Bangladesh's coal sector a very promising one to accelerate the country's national economy. Dr. Rais has been working in ‘Black Swan Nickle,’ mine in Carlgorlley, Australia, one of the deepest nickel mine in the world.

Born in Narsingdi, Bangladesh, Dr. Rais has obtained his higher degree in geology and mineral industry in Bangladesh, USA and Australia. He was involved in teaching profession for long in Australia. Dr Raisuddin is also a former fellow of Australia's number one ranking National University said, "Coal can be a useful and effective alternative source of energy to ensure the country's future energy security and help developing the national economy."

“But to utilize the country's coal reserve potentials a bold decision and its immediate implementation are necessary,” Dr Raisuddin Ahmed further stated to Energy & Power Editor Mollah Amzad Hossain during his recent visit to Bangladesh. Following are the excerpts.

EP: Bangladesh has huge coal reserves. But the country is yet to tap its potentials. According to you what are the bottlenecks the country faces and how it can be overcome?

RA: Bangladesh is now facing multifaceted problems like lack of necessary and realistic vision, policy-related complexities and weakness in taking appropriate and timely decisions. Overcoming these bottlenecks is intricate but not impossible. Firstly the government's vision needs to be changed. The government should be open, free from political confrontation and come out of conservative approach. Appropriate decision should be taken without fear and adequate measures should be taken for its quick implementation. The government must have to maintain strong monitoring especially in the case of social and environmental issues associated with coalmine development and immediate rectification is a must if a wrong is committed. An independent monitoring system can be considered involving eminent scientists, academicians of the country.

EP: How you see the prospect of coal sector in Bangladesh and how it can be utilized?

RA: Coal sector in Bangladesh is very promising. The government must not do any further delay in taking decision on coal sector development. Bangladesh is already lagging behind in utilizing coal resources. The global practice is that around 70-80 per cent of coal is used in coal-fired power plant in the coal-rich countries like USA, China, Germany and Australia. Despite having huge potentials Bangladesh has only one 250 MW coal-fired power plant, which is also struggling for regular supply shortages of coal due to application of wrong mining method in Barapukuria coalmine. The gas reserve of the country is depleting quickly with growing demand and Bangladesh doesn’t have any alternative other than immediate extraction and uses of its coal resources. The preferred option for Bangladesh would be to use coal for base load power generation and save valuable gas resource for other productive uses.

EP: By the way you mentioned about Barapukuria coal mine, what should be the appropriate mining method in Barapukuria?

RA: Geologic reality and economic consideration should come first for selecting mining method. It is very much site specific. In Bangladesh, the main challenge for underground mining is to maintain the subsurface water bearing Dupi Tila layer overlying the coal seams. It is also a challenge for open pit mining. Thick coal seam and unconsolidated overburden materials are also factors in safe and economic mining of the coal resource. Considering the overall geological structure and soil condition of Barapukuria coalmine I must say open pit mining method is most suitable for its mining.

EP: There is a controversy regarding selecting mining method for Phulbari Coal Field. Which method you suggest appropriate for Phulbari?

RA: As the geological structure and soil condition of Phulbari is similar to that of Barapukuria, the open-pit mining method would be a suitable option for getting the maximum benefit out of it. But the authorities concerned must have to be careful about pollution, degradation of environment to maintain a natural equilibrium. Mine dewatering will have significant impacts on underground water regime in the area. But there are well-tested mitigation measures in the world to minimize the impacts of dewatering. RWE Mine, Germany is a great example of efficient subsurface water management. Bangladesh must have to implement those mitigation measures and experiences to ensure availability of water to the affected communities. The local people who will loss their land and other assets for open-pit mining must have to be properly compensated. After coal extraction, the affected lands must have to be reclaimed and rehabilitated for productive uses and should consider returning back to the owner or their successors. The mining should be done in phases to ensure that huge numbers of local people do not need to be rehabilitated at once. The local people must be given proper employment and other opportunities to maintain their livelihood with better status than before.

EP: Bangladesh has several coalfields. According to you how Bangladesh can go ahead to develop those.

RA: As currently Bangladesh has no expertise in coalmining, initially one or two coalmines should be developed with assistance from foreign companies. Foreign companies can develop Bangladesh coalmines under contracts. The remaining coalmines should be kept for local companies to develop. Manpower should be developed through necessary training. Provision should be kept in the contract with foreign companies to ensure employment of maximum number of Bangladeshi nationals. Arrangements should also be there so that local expertise develop seeing and experiencing the works of foreign companies.

Source: http://www.ep-bd.com/

Date: 16 July 08

Because we have rising gas and oil prices the government is turning back to coal to produce electricity. It can be imported cheaply from friendly nations, so it can be a secure supply of energy. Environmentalists all over the world are trying to prevent coal being sued to generated power because oil is so carbon intensive; in the USA carbon dioxide has been declared a pollutant by one state court and this ruling looks as though it will prevent any new coal power stations until coal can be used in a way that emits very little carbon dioxide – so called “clean coal”.

Unfortunately one local authority in Kent has recently given permission for e.on to build a new coal power plant at Kingsnorth and there are plans for another five or six new coal power plants. So far the energy companies have said that they will get these plants to be as clean as possible but with the existing state of knowledge I am afraid that does not mean very much.

The basic problem is quite simple; when you burn coal you end up releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If you can find a way to get the carbon dioxide sequestrated before it reaches the air you will have clean coal. You have to do something with the flue gases before they reach the air.

One idea (and probably the best so far) is to capture the hot gas from the flues, which contain both carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulphurs and nitrogen and pipe them into some underground store – possibly the underground chambers vacated by the extraction of oil and gas under the North Sea.

I doubt if this will be an economic in Kingsnorth, located in the Medway and far away from the oil North Sea oil and gas fields. It is also uncertain as to whether this sequestration will be permanent. We just do not know.

Another problem is that this method makes coal more expensive because it reduces the energy output that can go into generating electricity. We do not know yet how much more coal will have to be burnt to produce the same power as dirty coal – figures ranges from anther 13% to another 33%. I imagine it depends on just how much carbon is captured, and there will be a point at which the extra coal burning will outweigh in carbon emissions terms the carbon sequestrated.

The problem of dirty coal not really being addressed by the government; instead of a well funded research program which could look at all the possibilities, the government is only funding research into the carbon capture method I have outlined. It is relying on the emissions trading market to drive the carbon price so high that the energy market will be forced to find a solution. It is a pious wish because markets are unpredictable. A year or so ago everyone had faith in markets to regulate banking and lending both in the USA and in the UK. Today banks are in chaos and the loan market has largely dried up. The market has misbehaved as all markets do.

Relying on the carbon market to force energy companies to only use clean coal under various emission trading schemes will be foolish. The system of carbon markets is already a highly artificial because there is no end user for carbon and the value of it is set by some methods which are not precise not ultimately capable of full and complete audit in all the countries that participate in the schemes.

Sequestrating carbon from coal burning is too important to be left to markets. Parliament’s robust Environmental Audit Committee, chaired by Tim Yeo, thinks that all coal burning power stations, new or old, must be fitted with carbon capture devices.  Others think that their permits should depend on them capturing a specific percentage of the carbon emissions and that percentage could be increased year by year. I rather fear that neither of these sound ideas will be followed.

Clean coal is at the moment a pipe dream; by not funding research into all possible types of clean coal technology and by relying on the power generators and markets clean coal will remain a concept, not a reality.

It is not.

Nuclear power has *NEVER* come close to making a profit or breaking even- it has always been subsidized by tax payers, such as the $24 BILLION gift we gave the industry in December. And let's not even get into the possible environmental catastrophes and leaks such as Chernobyl and the relatively small one France is dealing with right now- if you believe liquid contaminated with unenriched uranium spilling from a tank into the water supply causing a ban on drinking the water and using it on crops is no big deal. As far as Nuclear energy weening us off of fossil fuels, nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is you have to burn both coal and oil to produce enriched uranium, not to mention the transportation of the dangerous stuff to and from the site.

Speaking of "from" aka the waste, Harvey Wasserman writes, "Despite industry claims, VY's high-level nuke waste is going nowhere. Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Edward McGaffigan has told the New York Times he believes the Yucca Mountain waste repository cannot open for at least another 17-20 years, if ever."

I oppose the use of more nuclear power.  At the very least we should find a way to make the current ones in service so efficient they come stop being supported by billion dollar gifts.  That's OUR money people.  I know some of you oppose universal health care, but would you rather that money go to a proven energy loser that can lead to catastrophe or be given to the men and women that work every day in the country, keeping it running, but cannot afford to get sick?

The choice is clear in my book.  Investiment into solar and wind power along with the health of the nation.

To learn more about our energy options, check out Harvey Wasserman's Solartopia site.

Cheers,

Tom

A new Rasmussen poll is out and its time for Al Gore to shut up. After his 5 year long campaign against global warming the average American finds Gore’s “10 year plan” unrealistic. Furthermore, most voters in the United States also believe that Gore’s “10 year plan” to switch all of the nation's electricity production to wind, solar and other carbon-free sources in 10 years will actually make energy prices go up.

Sure America needs to rid itself from dependency on foreign oil and energy consumption but we must do it in the most logical and fiscally responsible way possible. That includes finding alternative energy sources while drilling off the coasts and beginning to re-introduce one of America’s top natural resources, coal. Instead of just investing billions in making America more energy efficient right away, we can gradually make that change while keeping the cost down.

Rasmussen Poll

Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for Power and Energy Ministry Tamim yesterday said no more gas-based power plant will be set up in the country as there is a shortage of the fossil fuel.

“No more gas-based power plant to be set up in the country,” he said while addressing a seminar titled 'Bangladesh's main challenges to meet future electricity demand'.

Referring to the country's chronic gas crisis that hampers the electricity generation, Tamim said a team is now visiting the gas-based power plants to identify their efficiency level.

Terming the present gas crisis as a legacy of the past, Tamim, a former professor of petroleum engineering of Buet, said only one gas field was discovered in the country in the last 10 years. “So, the present government has to think about gas import.”

He said the use of electricity is increasing day by day because of its cheaper price.

Describing the government's steps to boost gas production, Tamim said state-owned Bapex was recently allocated the highest fund to expedite its operation. “Even we've accepted the price that Bapex offered for its new gas field.”

Urging the country's political parties to reach a consensus on the energy issue, he said, “We should go for multiple approaches in resolving the country's power and energy crises.”

“We're going to hand over power to an elected political government. So, they should take experts to deal with the matters,” he added.

Taking a swipe at critics, the CA's special assistant said they should come up with their alternative solution to the crisis instead of doing criticism.

Organised by Energy and Power magazine at CIRDAP auditorium, the seminar was addressed, among others, by Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Chairman Ghulam Rahman, former PDB chairman Quamrul Islam Siddique, Planning Commission member AMM Nasir Uddin, and Power Cell Director General Abdul Jalil.

Published On: 2008-07-20

Source: http://thedailystar.net/story.php

Good grief, look out for the cost of residential electricity costs this winter. The huge spike in coal costs will have a major impact on driving up inflation and energy costs this winter for no apparent logical reason. Can you say, GREED???

Total Sunflower Electric-related lawsuits in the courts, as of today (I think):

Five.

Here (again, I think) is how it happened. Reminder: The suits all essentially challenge KDHE's 2007 decision to deny Sunflower an air permit for a 1,400 megawatt coal-fired electrical generation plant.

The 1,400 megawatt plant would have emitted more than eleven million tons of carbon dioxide per year, or more than twice as much CO2 as emitted from all the cars in Kansas. Carbon dioxide is a pollutant, and a major greenhouse gas contributing to global warming.

Last week, a district court judge in Finney County dismissed the two suits that Sunflower and its allies had filed there, due to lack of jurisdiction. A 2006 state law says that a challenge to the denial of an air-quality permit must go through the state Court of Appeals, and bypass district courts. Sunflower did not contest the dismissal of its suits.

All of the plaintiffs involved (it appears) - Sunflower, Tri-State Generation (the Colorado utility that is its partner in the venture), Finney County Commission, and the Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce - are still part of the suits before the Court of Appeals.

Sierra Club is also planning to intervene in the appellate court lawsuits. These suits will most likely be resolved by the Kansas Supreme Court.

That's the two down. Now, the one up - Sierra Club has successfully brought suit against the RUS, the USDA program that uses taxpayer dollars to finance the building of coal plants. A federal district court judge just refused the federal government's motion to dismiss the case.

The RUS had already indefinitely suspended funding for future projects, and it is not directly funding the new proposed Sunflower plants. However, since Sunflower still owes the RUS about $342 million for the first Holcomb plant (built in the 1980s), RUS was required to give its approval to the new project before Sunflower could seek financing (Salina Journal).

If the RUS revokes its approval, then this will probably change the financing picture for Sunflower Electric. (To my knowledge, Sunflower is not at this point directly engaged in Sierra Club v. RUS.)

*************************

None of these legal challenges will likely be resolved by the next legislative session, which begins in early 2009. All of the seats in the Kansas House and Senate are currently up for re-election In November.

Energy will play a major part in some of these races, but in others maybe not. Some of the most significant Sunflower supporters are also running unopposed.

The Sunflower plants will likely return to the legislature in the next session. They will compete with a crowded slate of issues - a great deal of state business was put on hold during the last session, while energy was devoted to the coal legislation instead.

Likewise, the state faces a fairly brutal budget situation for next year (although still better than many states in the nation).

*************************

Quick review - the Kansas coal controversy has ended up back in the courts because supporters of Sunflower Electric lost their battle in the legislature, failing to come up with the necessary votes to override vetoes of three separate coal bills.

The issue ended up in the legislature because Sunflower did not want to wait on the outcome of the legal challenges it had filed against KDHE's decision.

Other related factors: In Massachusetts v. EPA (2007), the U.S. Supreme Court found that carbon dioxide is a pollutant that can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. KDHE Secretary Rod Bremby cited this decision as the basis for denying the Sunflower air permit.

The Supreme Court also instructed the EPA to begin a rules and regulations process. However, the EPA has basically punted on this until the next presidential administration. This has left carbon regulation at the federal level in limbo for now. Both presidential candidates support some form of carbon regulation.

Just recently, a Georgia state court also invalidated an air permit for 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant because its developers had not considered carbon dioxide emissions. The court decision also cited Mass v. EPA.

In the meantime, coal plant construction costs continue to rise (as do construction costs for all forms of energy production, due to the current commodities bubble).

For example, KCPL's new Iatan 2 power plant will cost almost $2 billion, a 15 percent increase from two years ago and 47 percent higher than the original $1.3 billion price tag. Costs increases are similar across the industry (Red Orbit).

Sunflower Electric's original estimate for its plants was $3.2 billion. That cost has not been recently updated.

--- Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org

We ended the Quit Coal Ship Tour's Thai Leg today at the the Ministry of Energy in Bangkok with a direct communication activity.  Our activists with about 500 balloon printed with the word CO2 were marching into the compound of the Ministry smoothly. The minister wasn't around when we were approaching the Minister's office building. They sent the head of the political unit, Mr. Prathet Srichompu to talk with us and receive our note on Lead the Energy [R]evolution petition.

กิจกรรมนี้ไม่น่าตื่นเ้ต้นเหมือนกิจกรรมสื่อสารทางตรงครั้งสุดท้าย อย่างไรก็ตามข้อเรียกร้องและข้อความของเราเป็นที่รับรู้แล้วแม้ว่าเรายังไม่สามารถผลักดันมันในขณะนี้ เราจะเดินหน้าสื่อสารกับกระทรวงพลังงานต่อไป

It was quite a boring action, compared to the last activity we did about a year ago. But our call and note were taken despite we could not move them now.  We will move the engagement with the MoE forward.

การเดินทางรณรงค์ของเรือเรนโบว์ วอร์ริเออร์ใน 18 วันที่ผ่านมามีกิจกรรมมากมาย ทั้งน่าตื่นเต้นและราบเรียบ เราประสบความสำเร็จในการรวบรวมประชาชนที่ต่อต้านโรงไฟฟ้าถ่านหิน เราประสบความสำเร็จในการสร้างความสนใจให้กับประชาชน สื่อมวลชน และ รัฐบาล และแน่นอนว่าเราประสบความสำเร็จในการทำงานเพื่อสิ่งแวดล้อมของโลกที่เราอาศัยอยู่ เราต้องทำบางอย่างเพื่อโลกใบนี้แม้ว่าสิ่งที่เราทำจะไม่ประสบความสำเร็จ หรือไม่สำเร็จในเวลาอันรวดเร็ว ดังที่ท่านมหาตมะ คานธีกล่าวไว้ว่า "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." (ทุกอย่างที่คุณทำอาจไม่มีความหมาย แต่เป็นสิ่งสำคัญที่คุณต้องทำมัน)

That past 18 days of the Rainbow Warrior's campaigning journey generated a lot of activities, both exciting and serene. We was successful in mobilizing people who are against coal power plants. We were successful in generating the interests of Thai people, media and government. And of course, were were successful in working for the environment of the earth we live in. We had to do something for the earth even what we did would not be successful of not in a short period of time. Like the great Mahatma Gandhi said, "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."

แม้ว่าเรายังไม่บรรลุเป้าหมายของเรา แต่มันก็เป็นจุดเริ่มต้นในการสร้างความสนใจให้กับผู้คนและรัฐบาล ซึ่งจะทำให้เราทำงานง่ายขึ้น และแน่นอนเราจะต่อยอดการรณรงค์ เพื่อผลักดันให้รัฐบาลลงมือทำเพื่อแก้ปัญหาการเปลี่ยนแปลงสภาพภูมิอากาศ และเพื่อให้ความรู้แก่สาธารณชนต่อไป จนถึงวันนั้นที่เราประสบความสำเร็จ....เราจะไม่หยุด เพราะเรามีโลกอยู่แค่ใบเดียว

Eventhough we have not achieved out goal, we began to generate interests of people and government which will make our work easier. And it is certain that we will move this momentun forward to push the government to take action to solve the climate crisis and to provide knowledge to the people. Until we succeed, we will not stop because we have only one planet to save.

พวกเราหวังว่าคุณจะช่วยเราช่วยโลก โปรดสมัครจดหมายข่าวนักกิจกรรมทางอินเตอร์เน็ตกรีนพีซ เพื่อรับข่าวสารและวิธีการง่ายๆ ที่คุณช่วยได้

และหากคุณยังไม่ได้ลงชื่อ โปรดลงชื่อในจดหมายเรียกร้องการปฏิวัติพลังงานที่นี่

I would like to end this tour's blog with this lyric from Animal Liberation Orchestra:
"Understanding why
We do what we do
Why we put ourselves
What we put ourselves through
When there’s no longer comfort
In your comfort zone
And you feel
Like you’re all alone

Like you’re all alone
All alone
All alone"

ฉันขอปิดฉากบล็อกของการเดินทางครั้งนี้ด้วยเนื้อเพลงของวง Animal Liberation Orchestra ดังนี้

"ฉันพยายามเ้ข้าใจว่าทำไม่เราจึงทำสิ่งที่เราทำ
ทำไมเราต้องเอาตัวเข้าเสี่ยงเช่นนี้
ก็เมื่อมันไม่มีความสบายอีกต่อไปในโลกที่เราคิดว่าสะดวกสบาย
และบางทีคุณรู้สึกว่าคุณโดดเดี่ยว
เดียวดาย
ว้าเหว่
ไม่มีใครเลยสักคน"

We hope you will understand why we are doing what we are doing and don't make us feel all alone and please remember that the world can change if you change yourself.

เราหวังว่าคุณจะเข้าใจว่าทำไมเราจึงทำสิ่งที่เราทำอยู่ และไม่ทิ้งเราให้โดดเดี่ยว และโปรดจำไว้ว่าโลกที่เปลี่ยนแปลงเริ่มที่ตัวคุณ

Please stay tuned for the next leg of the Rainbow Warrior's journey in India....

โปรดติดตามตอนต่อไปของการเดินทางรณรงค์ปฏิวัติพลังงานของเรือเรนโบว์ วอร์ริเออร์ในอินเดีย.....

Yet another action from Mountain Justice in Defense of the Appalachian Mountains!

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Tenn., July 20 - Residents of coal-impacted communities throughout Tennessee and Appalachia took a stand today for the mountains of East Tennessee by marching on Zeb Mountain, a surface mining site owned by Knoxville-based National Coal Corporation. In the tradition of American Civil Disobedience, the march, organized by United Mountain Defense, Mountain Justice, and Three Rivers Earth First!, included a diversity of coal-impacted citizens ranging from hunters fighting for the state’s wildlife to religious leaders promoting environmental stewardship

The march began with a prayer led by Christians for the Mountains and included political theater, life-sized puppets, rousing speeches, and proud renditions of the Tennessee state anthem, “Good Ol’ Rocky Top.” As the march reached the border of National Coal's property, four activists decided to risk their freedom by walking across the line to make it clear that the destruction of mountains for short term profit is not acceptable. The Campbell County Sheriff's Office calmly and orderly arrested the activists and removed them from the property.

Eric Blevins, one of those arrested, and a multi-generational Appalachian, said "I crossed an artificial line today because Appalachia is my homeland, and its life is being destroyed far faster than it can regenerate. I wanted to open people's minds to how insane it is that we allow corporations to own land without loving it and keeping life sustainable."

Now that 1345 acres of Zeb Mountain, half the original permit, have been reduced to rubble, National Coal is moving on to assault other mountaintops in Tennessee. One of these areas is the 65,000 acre Sundquist Wildlife Management Area, which cost Tennessee taxpayers $40 million dollars to purchase. Sundquist Wildlife Management Area is a public access game preserve with rivers flowing directly into the water supply of Nashville, Tennessee.

“The land belongs to the state and the people of Tennessee, and corporations should not be allowed to destroy it. The federal mining regulators should start listening to state agencies and representatives,” said Matt Landon, a United Mountain Defense volunteer.

Coal mining involving mountaintop removal or cross ridge mining has many negative effects across Appalachia, and using this method in the Sundquist Wildlife Management Area would threaten the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. The Big South Fork has begun to recover from previous mining operations in the early 1900s. There are five federally endangered species of mussels in the Big South Fork and two listed endangered fish. This is about the survival of the New River and the Big South Fork. Mountaintop removal is inherently destructive to the sources of our water, and the fish and wildlife that depend on it.

Of the groups organizing the march, United Mountain Defense is a Tennessee-based non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the state’s land, air, water and people, while Mountain Justice is a pan-Appalachian movement dedicated to similar issues on a regional scale. Three Rivers Earth First! is dedicated to preserving all places.

“We believe Tennesseans need to stand up to the coal companies that are devastating our environment, killing our wildlife, and poisoning our air and water,” said United Mountain Defense co-founder Paloma Galindo. National Coal has committed over 50 violations of environmental regulations since 2004.

“NCC cannot be trusted to protect our public lands based on their prior record of violations,” said lawyer and Knoxville native Chris Irwin. National Coal is unfit to mine our public lands due to their pattern of violations in Tennessee.
The march comes as state legislators continue to debate the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act, a bill that would protect Tennessee ridgelines above 2,000 feet, require an environmental impact statement before issuing any surface coal mining permits and would prohibit surface mining operations within 100 feet of any water of the state.

Now is the time for citizens to speak up and take a stand to protect the mountains of Tennessee from the devastating effects of surface mining. With coal prices becoming less competitive than renewable energy and in-state tourism growing in popularity due to the rising cost of travel, the mountains of Tennessee are far more valuable to the state and its citizens if they are protected

United Mountain Defense (UMD) is a nonprofit volunteer based organization committed to protecting Tennessee’s mountains, water, air and people. UMD conducts activities in three principle areas: legal and policy advocacy; scientific monitoring and data collection; and public education, outreach and grassroots organizing. These activities are conducted within the state of Tennessee, primarily in Campbell, Claiborne, Scott, Fentress, Bledsoe, Knox and Blount counties.

Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for Power and Energy Ministry Tamim yesterday said no more gas-based power plant will be set up in the country as there is a shortage of the fossil fuel.

“No more gas-based power plant to be set up in the country,” he said while addressing a seminar titled 'Bangladesh's main challenges to meet future electricity demand'.

Referring to the country's chronic gas crisis that hampers the electricity generation, Tamim said a team is now visiting the gas-based power plants to identify their efficiency level.

Terming the present gas crisis as a legacy of the past, Tamim, a former professor of petroleum engineering of Buet, said only one gas field was discovered in the country in the last 10 years. “So, the present government has to think about gas import.”

He said the use of electricity is increasing day by day because of its cheaper price.

Describing the government's steps to boost gas production, Tamim said state-owned Bapex was recently allocated the highest fund to expedite its operation. “Even we've accepted the price that Bapex offered for its new gas field.”

Urging the country's political parties to reach a consensus on the energy issue, he said, “We should go for multiple approaches in resolving the country's power and energy crises.”

“We're going to hand over power to an elected political government. So, they should take experts to deal with the matters,” he added.

Taking a swipe at critics, the CA's special assistant said they should come up with their alternative solution to the crisis instead of doing criticism.

Organised by Energy and Power magazine at CIRDAP auditorium, the seminar was addressed, among others, by Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Chairman Ghulam Rahman, former PDB chairman Quamrul Islam Siddique, Planning Commission member AMM Nasir Uddin, and Power Cell Director General Abdul Jalil.